Language Placement Exams
All first-year and transfer students who intend to study a foreign language with which they have some familiarity (whether through formal study at the pre-college or college level or through significant exposure to the language through extended stay abroad or through use in your family), and who have not previously submitted scores from the SAT Achievement Test or an Advanced Placement Test in that language, should take a Brown foreign language placement test. If you have submitted scores on an SAT Achievement or Advanced Placement Test, but gained significant language experience during the summer (e.g., by taking a summer course before coming to Brown or by a stay of considerable duration in the relevant foreign country), you should also take a Brown foreign language placement test. If you know a second foreign language, we suggest you take a placement test in that language.
Please consult the list below for scheduled exams. You may direct any questions about placement exams to the faculty member listed for each language.
| AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE |
Please contact [email protected] in the Center for Language Studies. |
| ARABIC |
Placement tests are administered individually during registration period. For questions about placement, please contact [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]. |
| CHINESE |
Exam scheduled for Tuesday, September 3 12:00 PM–3:00 PM, Barus and Holley, Room 141. Anyone who has any background in Chinese is required to take the placement test, including those who have taken or submitted their SAT or AP tests scores.
Please contact [email protected] with any questions. |
| CZECH |
Please contact [email protected] in the Slavic Studies Department. |
| FRENCH |
The Brown Placement exam can be taken at any time, preferably before the beginning of classes. Please review the following links for information and access to the language placement exams: https://www.brown.edu/academics/french-studies/language-placement |
| GERMAN |
Please log on to canvas to take the online German placement test. You may take the placement test at anytime during the summer or semester. Please contact [email protected] with questions. |
| MODERN GREEK |
Please contact [email protected] in the Department of Classics. |
| HEBREW |
Please contact [email protected] in Judaic Studies. |
| HINDI-URDU |
Placement tests are administered individually during registration period. Please contact [email protected] at the Center for Language Studies. |
| ITALIAN |
Exam scheduled for Tuesday, September 3, 12:00 PM–1:00 PM, Salomon Center, Room 202. The Italian placement exam has both written and oral components. To schedule the oral interview please contact Professor Abbona-Sneider at [email protected]. You may take the oral exam via Skype before arriving on campus. |
| JAPANESE |
Exam scheduled for SEPTEMBER 3 NOON–3:00 PM, Barus and Holley, Room 158. Please contact [email protected] in East Asian Studies. |
| KOREAN |
Please contact [email protected] in East Asian Studies. |
| LATIN and ANCIENT GREEK |
Please contact [email protected]. |
| PERSIAN |
Placement tests are administered individually during registration period. Please contact [email protected]du at the Center for Language Studies. |
| PORTUGUESE |
Placement tests are administered individually during registration period. Please contact [email protected] in the Department of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies. |
| RUSSIAN |
Exam scheduled for SEPTEMBER 3 12:30–2:00 PM, Marston Hall, Room 205. Please contact [email protected]. |
| SPANISH |
The Brown Placement exam for Spanish can be taken at any time, preferably before the beginning of classes. Please review the following links for information and access to the language placement exams: https://www.brown.edu/academics/hispanic-studies/language-placement. For a list of faculty, please click here. |
| TURKISH |
Placement tests are administered individually during registration period. Please contact the Center for Language Studies at [email protected]. |